FREE CREDIT REPORT AFTER BEING DENIED CREDIT, EMPLOYMENT OR INSURANCE

You may request a free report after you receive a denial of credit, employment or insurance.  The free credit report should be requested from the credit reporting agency (Equifax, Experian or Trans Union) that the user (potential creditor, employer or insurer) reviewed when making its decision.  You can identify the credit bureau from the adverse action notice sent to you by the potential creditor, employer or insurer.   You should then request your free credit report from the appropriate credit bureau (Equifax, Experian, or Trans Union) that provided the information to the potential creditor, employer or insurer.

By law, the potential creditor, employer or insurer is supposed to provide you with the contact information (name, telephone and address) of the credit reporting agency that provided it with your credit report.  This information should be contained in a letter from the potential creditor, employer or insurer.  Be careful – you must request your credit report within 60 days of receiving this letter!

Consumers can get a free credit report when they are denied credit, employment or insurance based in whole or in part on their credit report.  The consumer can request their free credit report from the consumer reporting agency (Experian, Equifax or Trans Union), which provided the consumer’s credit report to the potential creditor, employer or insurer.  The consumer must request the free credit report within 60 days of receipt of the “adverse action” notice.

“Each consumer reporting agency that maintains a file on a consumer shall make all disclosures pursuant to section 1681g of this title without charge to the consumer if, not later than 60 days after receipt by such consumer of a notification pursuant to section 1681m of this title, or of a notification from a debt collection agency affiliated with that consumer reporting agency stating that the consumer’s credit rating may be or has been adversely affected, the consumer makes a request under section 1681g of this title.” 15 USC 1681j(b).

If you have requested your free credit report due to an adverse action notice and Equifax, Experian or Trans Union is trying to charge you for your report, then you need to speak with a consumer credit lawyer.  Contact consumer credit attorney Micah Adkins for a free consultation.